More control needed on beaches

Recently there have been letters and articles about the mess left at various beaches around the city. Officialdom has promised to throw more staff at the cleaning up, so that these facilities look good. To me, this does not address the problem.

I would like to suggest that we tackle the problem at source, and have put down a few thoughts to develop a “protocol” for control of our beaches.

The major concern by citizens and officials, alike, is the trashing and littering of our beaches.

• Liquor consumption is the common denominator at all beaches and public spaces, where bad behaviour occurs.

• It is not peculiar to eThekwini.

• Defecating and urinating is generally part of the excessive behaviour.

• eThekwini is now part of the Blue Flag program, with two full and five pilot beaches.

• We are primarily a tourist city, and famous for our beaches.

The solutions:

• A dedicated beach manager, responsible for each beach.

• Coned access control to beaches, as we did to Westbrook Beach over the last Christmas/New Year festive season.

• Exclude liquor from being brought to the beaches.

• Enforce the ‘No drinking’ by-laws in public.

• Keep toilets open on high days and holidays, and manned!

It is much easier, and kinder on staff and the environment, to prevent the trashing rather than cleaning up afterwards.

GEOFF D A PULLAN

Westbrook